Umar Sani, spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has defended the expulsion of Nyesom Wike and other senior party members, insisting the action was necessary to resolve internal disputes and maintain party cohesion.
He explained that the party initially attempted reconciliation through the Ambassador Hassan Adamu Committee, which sought to mediate between the rival factions but could not reach a resolution.
Sani said the party’s national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, was conducted in full compliance with statutory and legal requirements, dismissing suggestions that the disciplinary measures were delayed or politically motivated.
“We wanted to resolve this as a family, but it became clear there was no way to do so. Wike himself described it as a dispute among family members. One of his conditions was that we agree not to field a presidential candidate in 2027. We cannot wait for a fight to finish; we have to end the fight,” Sani added.
He also addressed confusion surrounding the presence of election observers at the convention, clarifying that individuals initially introduced as INEC officials were actually national observers. Sani emphasised that the participation of the electoral commission is not mandatory for validating a party convention.
The spokesman added that the PDP had fulfilled all statutory requirements, including issuing a 21-day notice for the convention and complying with court orders, which legitimised both the gathering and subsequent disciplinary actions against members.
“Immediately, I tweeted that the INEC officials are here. Moments later, Bala corrected it, saying these are national election observers. I quickly issued a statement to put out the correct information so I would not be accused of complicity,” Sani explained.
The convention also saw the election of Kabiru Turaki as PDP National Chairman and Taofeek Arapaja as National Secretary, while the expulsion of Wike and suspension of other senior figures underscores the party’s determination to stamp out anti-party conduct and internal dissent.
